RS800 European Championships - Varying degrees of success and failure

by Toby Wincer on 30 Jul 2014 After all 40 RS800 European Championship teams from France, Germany and the UK had made their journey down to Lake Garda with varying degrees of success and failure, the boat park was bustling with enthusiasm as the cloud and rain cleared over the weekend to leave the lake sparkling for the Championship opener on Monday afternoon.

The fleet was greeted by a twitchy 12-18 knots as they sailed toward the race area. After half an hour or so while the race officer tweaked the course to suit, the teams limbered up ready to charge for the cliffs. In the bar the previous night it had been discussed that inline with previous events there was any number of boats that could take the title let alone lead the fleet round the race course.

True to for it was Team Jeffries (Andy and Ally) that were first to the cliffs taking a few transoms across the start one to get there. James Date and Toby Wincer won the pin from Pete Barton and Chris Feibusch followed by Dave Hivey and James Barlow. However it was important to get back to the cliffs Date and Wincer spotted their escape route and made their own charge for the cliffs.

Andy and Allyson Jeffries found a route through on port and won the race to the cliffs, stretching the fleet as they lead round the first windward followed by Date and Wincer and Hivey and Barlow. The race was on and the breeze was up as once again the crews charged back in towards the cliffs to find the pressure, this time with the kites up. Tim Saxton and Sam Littlejohn plus Dave and Louise Steed led the chasing pack battle with Luke and Emma McEwan in close attendance.

As they round the leeward mark the pressure began to drop and it was key to get heads out of boats to search for the breeze. As the breeze started to disappear near the cliffs, the left looked good with more pressure, until the right finally came good at the end, but now it was anyones guess where the next pressure or big hole in the breeze would be. Date and Wincer found breeze but also got wrapped up in 6ft of bamboo shoot, despite this they managed to clear their breeze and get on the inside of the wind bend to get round the windward mark inside Andy and Ally. Date and Wincer lead down the run with the breeze dropping to single trapezing conditions and big holes plus changes in pressure starting to make things a bit nervy for the leaders.

Team Jeffries split at the next leeward mark, while Date and Wincer held on towards the cliffs for a bit longer. This proved a gamble too far as the left came good with Andy and Ally extending into the lead followed by Hivey and Barlow, Barton and Feibusch, Dave and Louise, and Luke and Emma. Date and Wincer found a little right hander to sneak back into third by the top mark. The last run got really funky, with the fleet completely becalmed within touching distance of the finish line. After leading for the majority of the race Andy and Ally got the very raw end of the deal, as it was one of those races that was impossible to lead. Seeing the leaders becalmed, Date and Wincer broke out right toward the middle of the lake and sailed around the stranded pair of Andy and Ally, Hivey and Barlow. Hivey and Barlow however found the final bit of breeze as it died next to the cliffs to sneak across the finish line and take the bullet, followed home by Date and Wincer, then the McEwans. Dave and Louise pulled out a well earned fourth and Halhead and Jagger completed the top five.

That was it for the breeze and so the fleet headed to the bar to watch the storms roll in…Dark and stormy!!!

Risultati RS800

No	Numero	Nome	Punti	1
1	GBR 1211	David Hivey, James Barlow, RYA	1,0	1
2	GBR 1195	James Date, Toby Wincer, Port Dinorwic SC	2,0	2
3	GBR 1129	Luke McEwen, Emma McEwen, Royal Lymington YC	3,0	3
4	GBR 1154	David Steed, Louise Steed, Netley SC	4,0	4
5	GBR 1180	Tom Halhead, Stu Jagger	5,0	5
6	GBR 1203	Tim Saxton, Sam Littlejohn, Grafham Water SC	6,0	6
7	GBR 868	Joel Walker, Sarah Crossman, Lancing SC	7,0	7
8	GBR 949	Peter Barton, Chris Feibusch, HISC	8,0	8
9	GBR 1135	Ella Morland, James Morland, Warsash SC	9,0	9
10	GBR 1212	Andy Jeffries, Allyson Jeffries, Eastbourne Sovereign SC	10,0	10
11	GBR 1073	David Conlon, Ed Gibbons	11,0	11
12	GBR 1202	Andrew Blundell, Maddie Fenner, Weston SC	12,0	12
13	GBR 7	Derek Buchanan, Elaine Buchanan, Oxford SC	13,0	13
14	GBR 1128	Seb Baucutt, Alex Farrell, Essex YC	14,0	14
15	GBR 1148	Steven Greaves, Caroline Edwards, Rickmansworth SC	15,0	15
16	FRA 897	Gilles Peeters, Jean Rouillon, YC Carnac	16,0	16
17	GBR 1132	Mick Whitmore, Sarah Smith, Eastbourne Sovereign SC	17,0	17
18	GBR 982	Aaron Smith, Alec Rodgers, Wilsonian SC	18,0	18
19	GBR 1185	Stephen Brown, Philip Bairstow, Ullswater YC	19,0	19
20	GBR 1133	Hugh Watson, Andy Watkins, Emsworth SC	20,0	20
21	GBR 1163	James Green, James Trewick, Beer SC	21,0	21
22	FRA 1130	Julian Antier, Fritsch Boris	22,0	22
23	GBR 1010	John Warburton, James Clapham, Royal Torbay YC	23,0	23
24	GBR 1087	Tim Palmer, Alex Nelson	24,0	24
25	GBR 1099	Alistair Hodgson, Penny Hooper, Draycote Water SC	25,0	25
26	GBR 1091	Paul Jenkins, Peter Jenkins, Weir Wood SC	26,0	26
27	GBR 1142	Oli Woods, Jane Turner, Itchenor SC	27,0	27
28	GBR 1138	Martin Boatman, Andrew Brown	28,0	28
29	FRA 1161	Jean-Louis Treguier, Camille Donnet Bart, Club Nautique de Viry	29,0	29
30	GER 961	Stewart Patience, Felix Krause, Berliner YC	30,0	30
31	GBR 1072	Jon Bennett, Guy Whittaker	31,0	31
32	FRA 1100	Jean-Francois Oger, Philippe Oger, CSAGS	32,0	32
33	GBR 1066	Clive Everest, Alex Everest, HISC	33,0	33
34	GBR 1015	Simon Payne, Fenella Williams, Oxford SC	34,0	34
35	GBR 1122	Grahame Smith, Nicola Smith, Wilsonian SC	35,0	35
36	GBR 1047	Adam Knight, Nico Ozanne	40,0	dns
36	GER 1191	Andrew Scoones, Lucy Scoones, Echinger SC	40,0	dns
36	GBR 1005	Ian Jubb, Sarah Martin	40,0	dns
36	GBR 1121	Paul Blackburn, Phil Burchell, Stokes Bay SC	40,0	dns

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